Just A Little Scruffy Lookin'
by organanation
Summary: "Welcome back," he said when she was close enough. He shot her a crooked grin and she started to feel even warmer than she normally did when she was with him. "Hi," she choked out. 'Get it together, Leia. It's facial hair, he's not standing there naked.' Han grows a beard on Hoth.


Han had been the one who'd finally convinced Leia to take proper care of herself. Sure, part of that 'convincing' had been threatening to slip the antibiotic into her herbal tea, but she'd taken it, which was more success than anyone else had had with her, including Luke.

He'd left on a supply run a few days later, and she wasn't feeling much better when he left, a nasty cough added to her list of symptoms. He had almost decided to back out, but the first thing on the supply manifest was medpacks. So, he'd told Luke to keep an eye on her and took off.

So, to say that Han was pissed off at Luke when he returned to find Leia out on a scouting mission was an understatement to say the least.

"You were supposed to keep her from overdoing it, and last time I checked, scouting missions usually fall into the category of 'overdoing it'!" Han protested. Luke had given up trying to get a word in edgewise a few minutes earlier and was now waiting with infuriating patience for Han to finish tearing him a new one. "And not just any scouting mission, but an _off-planet_ scouting mission. Do you know how dangerous those things can get, kid? Everything can go up in a second and she's gonna be out there, sick, with a team of incompetents who don't know the first thing about protecting someone as stir-crazy as her." Luke wanted to point out that this tirade all but negated every insistence Han had made over the past three years that he didn't care about Leia, but he kept his mouth shut. Han swept a hand through his hair and turned back to Luke expectantly.

"It's a low-risk mission. They went to a rebel cell to see about a new location for a base."

"Yeah, sure. Because a ' _low risk mission'_ has never gone downhill before," Han interrupted sarcastically.

"She's feeling much better; it's really just a cough now." Luke decided to leave out how bad the cough truly was; he'd been worried one evening that her lungs were going to end up on the desk in front of her because she was coughing so hard. "And she went with Shara. You're not the only one who can get her back alive, you know." Han huffed at that remark. "And," he continued, "they went to Sullust. The medical officer thought it would be good for Leia to go somewhere warm for a few days so that her system can work on getting better rather than having to expend so much energy just to keep her core body temperature up." Han grunted, and Luke could see that he was still worried. "They're slated to return tomorrow and I overheard one of the techs telling Rieekan this morning that they took off on schedule," Luke added.

That seemed to ease the tension in Han's features a bit and he rubbed a hand over his chin.

The smuggler had decided, for some reason or another, to let his facial hair grow out and was now sporting a beard. "You gonna shave that before she gets back?" Han's hand immediately dropped and he became defensive.

"Why should I?"

"I don't know; it was just a question. I don't really know what Leia's opinion on facial hair is."

"Well, I don't happen to give a damn what Her Worship's opinion on facial hair is," Han replied too quickly. "I didn't grow this for her, and it's not like I would do anything about it if she didn't like it."

"Why, exactly, did you grow it?"

"Because it's kriffing freezing here, or haven't you noticed?" It was quiet for a few moments. "You think she'll like it?"

"I don't know, but I heard a few women in the canteen this morning saying that they'd let you take them on the floor in the hangar bay, so that's something, I guess."

"Maybe I should trim it, at least," Han pondered, looking in the small shaving mirror suspended just outside the crew quarters. "What time did you say she gets in?" Luke suppressed a chuckle.

"1000. See ya later, Han."

00

Leia was not glad to return to the base. She'd lead a brief scouting mission to Sullust, where she met with some members of the underground who were working on securing land for a new base. It had been a relatively simple and low-risk mission, but a few days in the warm climate had made her feel much better, as did the knowledge that she'd helped in finding the next home for the Rebellion. Returning to the frigid air of the ice planet was not something she was particularly excited about.

Shara set them down gently and they headed across the hangar to debrief. They rounded a corner and she was suddenly face-to-chest with someone. Hands came to her shoulders to keep her from tumbling backwards, and it was only then that she recognized the jacket: she'd spent more nights than she cared to admit fantasizing about being wrapped up in that jacket, and the man that went with it…

"My apologies," she stated, quickly jumping back. She did a double take. He hadn't shaved in a few days and his chiseled jaw and scarred chin were covered in a thick layer of dark whiskers. That combined with that blue jacket…Leia's mouth suddenly felt dry.

"Well, if it isn't Her Worshipfulness and Mrs. Dameron," he drawled.

"We're late for a debriefing," Leia cut over him, pulling out of his hands. Shara hurried to keep up.

"That was a thrilling turn of events," she said to Leia.

"I'd hardly call Captain Solo misplacing his razor a _thrilling turn of events_." Shara held the door open for Leia and they stepped into the empty briefing room.

"You're my CO, so I'm technically required to agree with everything you say. But as a woman…I call your bluff."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, you don't," Shara replied. In reality, Leia hadn't seen it long enough to know if she actually liked it or not, but she wasn't about to endure the teasing from Shara that would be inevitable.

Leia was saved from having to reply by the arrival of General Rieekan. She spent the next hour in the briefing room with the general and Shara trying to remember what Han's beard looked like. It took all her self-control not to run down the hangar bay when they finished.

She decided that she liked it before she was even halfway across the hangar.

"Welcome back," he said when she was close enough. He shot her a crooked grin and she started to feel even warmer than she normally did when she was with him

"Hi," she choked out. _Get it together, Leia. It's facial hair, he's not standing there naked._ Leia's mind scrambled even further with that thought. He reached out to brush something off her shoulder, which completely shot every circuit in her head. She heard him talking and assumed he was addressing her, but she could not focus. He said something about blushes and fevers and the next thing she knew, they were on his ship and he was pressing a cup of tea into her hands. She took a few sips and he smiled.

"That should keep away any last chills." Leia nodded, looking absently across her tea at him. She wondered if it would feel smooth or rough against her hand if she caressed his cheek, or against her own cheek if she leaned in to kiss him. It somehow made him look older and she was reminded suddenly of their age difference. Leia put her tea down a bit forcefully on the holochess table and chastised herself for falling apart on him like she had a few weeks earlier. There were already 11 years between them, she didn't need to go exacerbating that divide by making him play nursemaid.

Leia looked back at his face, examining the way the scruff accentuated his jaw and brought out his eyes. She liked the beard, perhaps a bit _too_ much. It made him look exotic, dangerous…sexy… _Damn you, Han. Putting hair on your face should not make you look that good. It's not fair…_ What was it about this man that turned her into a thirteen-year-old girl, drooling over her first crush?

"You still in there, Highnessness?" He asked, taking in her contemplative expression.

"Why did you grow a beard in the first place?" she asked, the question sounding almost accusatory. He balked slightly, as if it had just dawned on him that she might hate his beard and never want to see him again. _Oh, hotshot, if that could only be true…_ His sudden insecurity bolstered her confidence and she found herself in control of the situation once again.

"I…it's cold here, if you hadn't noticed," he shot back, his hackles rising.

Leia stood authoritatively and walked purposefully across the room, making sure her footsteps sounded loud and powerful against the deck. This would take all her confidence, and if he saw even a hairline fracture in her armor, it would crumble, and that was not an option right now. He was leaned against the wall, sitting on a stool with two legs off the floor. She pushed her hand over his chin and lower jaw bone, thumb stroking one side and middle finger stroking the other. She pulled her hand away slowly, relishing the feeling of the stubble beneath her fingers. She held the tip of his chin in the crook of her index finger for a moment, tracing the outline of the scar that was barely visible.

Han was shocked. He'd probably do anything she asked him to right at that moment, and that power gave Leia a thrill. She leaned closer to him.

"Little scruffy-looking, don't you think?" she asked. She patted his cheek quickly before turning on her heel. She heard the other two feet of the stool make contact with the durasteel floor as she bolted down the entry ramp.

00

Luke filed in with the rest of his squadron to the briefing room. Han was standing in his usual place in the back of the room with Chewbacca, the smuggler's face clean-shaven. Luke hurried back to talk with him, calling for someone to save a space for him.

"She hated it, huh?" Luke asked with a crooked grin.

"Yeah, she ha—'course not. I just got sick of it. It was…scratchy," Han amended quickly. "She had nothin' to do with it." Chewbacca wuffed from beside Han and he scowled even more.

Leia walked in the back door just then and Han held out his hands as if to say 'Does this meet your standards?' She gave him the once over and planted a hand saucily on her hip.

"Pity. I did rather like the beard." She wound her way through the gathering ranks to the front of the room. Luke turned to Han. He looked angrier than a hungry tauntaun. Chewbacca was laughing and Luke couldn't help but join in.

"Damn that woman. Damn it."

 _AN: I hope you enjoyed this-please leave a review! Shout-out to my wonderful beta, Reading Writing Watching._

 _We only have one more week before I take a break from regular weekly postings for the month of December :( I will be posting a few short things here and there when I have time, and I have a special holiday story written that will be published around the 20th! I have a multi-chapter in the late stages of editing right now that will take us through January and February, and I do hope you stick around for it!_


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